Richard Mathew Coburn of Hamilton in the dock at the Hamilton High Court during his trial for the death of his former partner Paige Tutemahurangi (inset) in their Kahikatea Dr, Hamilton, in July last year. Photo / Belinda Feek
Richard Mathew Coburn of Hamilton in the dock at the Hamilton High Court during his trial for the death of his former partner Paige Tutemahurangi (inset) in their Kahikatea Dr, Hamilton, in July last year. Photo / Belinda Feek
WARNING: This story contains details of domestic abuse
Supporters of a woman fatally bashed by her partner jumped over a glass partition during her killer’s sentencing today at Hamilton High Court and attacked him in the dock.
It’s understood the defendant Richard Mathew Coburn escaped serious injury but one of the Corrections officers who tried to rush him to safety is believed to have suffered a shoulder injury.
The unrest began when Justice Mary Peters said she was sentencing Coburn to five years and 10 months’ jail, with a three-year minimum non-parole period, for the manslaughter of his partner Paige Tutemahurangi.
The 25-year-old victim’s family members could be heard expressing their disquiet at the sentence before some, including several young men, started to leave the courtroom.
However, two of those young men then quickly turned, and ran back in, leaping over the 2m high partition and landing in the defendant’s box where Coburn was standing, in between the two Corrections officers. They then unleashed a barrage of punches.
The officers quickly hurried Coburn out and down towards the cells, while other supporters were seen inflicting kicks and punches on security staff as they tried to flee the courtroom.
A man could be heard yelling: “f****** get you c***”.
The melee lasted for at least a minute and was witnessed by Justice Peters, who just minutes earlier had praised the whanau for “behaving with great dignity” throughout proceedings.
She remained in the room, watching the fracas for most of it. At one point she stood up and urged the men to “get down”.
Police were last seen interviewing several young men.
‘Staff member treated for shoulder injury’
Alan Lamb, acting general manager, Spring Hill prison confirmed his staff acted immediately to stop the assault.
“One staff member received an injury to his shoulder and has been taken to a local medical centre for attention.
“I would like to thank our staff for their response to what was an extremely distressing event for all those who witnessed it.”
‘It shouldn’t have happened’
Justice Peters left the courtroom as family members from both sides were eventually ushered out, but returned briefly to finish her sentencing.
She began by apologising to Coburn, who was now just wearing a singlet, stating “it shouldn’t have happened.
“It’s simply not acceptable and I don’t know why we didn’t have a police presence in the courtroom,” referring to the lack of uniformed officers given the large number of family members from both whanau.
Coburn had earlier been found guilty of his on-and-off partner’s death after a jury trial in Hamilton in March.
The 26-year-old managed to successfully defend the murder charge through defence counsel Roger Laybourn who argued that his client didn’t realise that his punches to her head would result in her death at their Kahikatea Dr home in July last year.
He was instead found guilty of manslaughter.
Prior to the assault, all seemed well according to texts exchanged between the pair before he arrived home.
“Hi babe, just gonna finish my beer then I’ll come back did you want me to get anything?” he asked.
“Cool as, babe, our dinner should be done by the time you came home and no thank you darling I thought I better not be lazy. Me and son have already been to supermarket to go get some fizzys for us xx”, Tutemahurangi replied.
Coburn arrived at the house at 7.44pm to find all of the inside lights turned off and front and back door locked.
Paige Tutemahurangi was killed by her partner Richard Coburn at their Kahikatea Dr, Hamilton, home in July last year. Photo / LinkedIn.
He was eventually let in by Tutemahurangi, who worked at the Ruapehu District Council, but the pair began arguing as she told him off for knocking loudly.
The argument escalated and she told him to pack his bags and leave. After walking down the hallway and putting their young son down, Coburn then punched her to the head at least five times.
He then picked her up put her onto the spare bed, changed her clothes, cleaned her up, apologised to her telling her that everything would be alright, before making a series of phone calls.
The first was to a person at 8.32pm which didn’t connect.
He then made the first of three calls to 111 at 8.37pm. The next two were both made a minute later.
Coburn performed CPR as he waited for emergency services to arrive.
Robert Coburn, in his victim statement, said he never thought his brother “would do such an awful act to such a beautiful, loving, caring, strong-minded young lady who had everything going for her.
“Paige never deserved any of this and deep down I know my brother knows he’s done wrong.
“Life certainly isn’t the same without Paige here, in this world.”
Tutemahurangi’s father, Rangi O’Leary, said Coburn’s actions had affected not only himself and his whanau, but their hapu and iwi.
“I have been unable to sleep at night ... I have been deeply traumatised and have been lost in a very dark place since the loss of my daughter, Paige.
“Our whanau has been divided, I nearly lost my job, I nearly lost my life due to not being able to think clearly.”
Crown solicitor Rebecca Mann pushed for a 9 to 10-year start point, while Laybourn urged Justice Peters take a 7-and-a-half year jail starting point.
‘Almost incomprehensible’
Laybourn, in his last act as a lawyer as he retires after 40 years, said the offending involved “a flurry of blows” and was not premeditated.
“It’s almost incomprehensible that Mr Coburn behaved in this way when we have the prelude of very affection communication of texts between himself and the deceased.”
Coburn didn’t want to excuse his actions but said he simply “over-reacted” to something Tutemahurangi said to him on the night.
Laybourn said his client’s remorse was genuine and obvious from the night given the way he treated her, tried to give CPR, and gave a statement to police at the station afterwards.
‘Shocking waste of a young life’
Justice Peters said Tutemahurangi’s life was a tragedy and a “shocking waste of a young life” to a woman who had at least 60 years ahead of her.
Two men were charged but four people were involved overall.
And in February this year, armed police were called to the High Court at Wellington when a scuffle began before it spilled out onto the streets outside Parliament.
Security managed to grab those trying to climb over the partition, but two people were left injured while the defendant in the murder case was escorted back to the cells after the near-full public gallery started yelling, prompting the fight.
Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for nine years and has been a journalist for 20.
